Lurker
The Lurker is the recombinant result of the Necromorph infection on the bodies of the infant-like organ banks used in biological prosthetic procedures. It is one of the only two known types of Necromorphs that possess' infant-like features, the other being the Crawler. Overview Out of all the reanimated and recombined forms within the known catalog of encountered Necromorphs, the Lurker is by far one of the most disturbing, and in a very real sense is also one of the most extensively mutated. Lacking both the coordination and ready muscle mass demanded to efficiently kill, the mass-produced infants transformed into Lurkers are treated more like a lump of biomass than an existing template around which the pathogen recombines an offensive form. It is also hinted at by a radiography in Dead Space that the Lurker can develop in the womb of an unsuspecting mother or grow from babies who have been put in tubes to grow as exemplified in Chapter 2: Dead Space as opposed to the infant being killed by another Necromorph and infected by an Infector. However an infant form is not the only form of Lurker as shown in Dead Space: Aftermath an adult Lurker can also be seen though that is the only instance that one is encountered. The only infant-like features left upon the creature is the general shape of its skin, and the unchanged limbs dangling at its sides. This covering is stiff and leathery to provide protection and a support structure for the many sticky tentacles that now dominate the thoracic cavity and lower abdomen. Made of muscle, they aide the Lurker in its locomotion, steadying its movements. Strong and dexterous, they allow the Lurker to walk along walls and even creep over ceilings without losing speed. It is through a slit in the lower back of the skin covering that the most alien feature of the Lurker is to be found. Tucked in the former pelvic area, coiled like snakes, are a trio of long, ropey tentacles. Like the limbs associated with movement, these extreme extremities are strong and flexible, able to whip around and bring their barbs lashing down upon anything foolish enough to get close. More, the tentacles are able to launch barbs at high speed and accuracy, making the Lurker a ranged threat. The Enhanced Lurker has the same body structure as a Lurker but is entirely black, far more resistant to damage and fires more lethal barbs. Both variants can be commonly found stalking Zero-G environments. Combat Strategy *Despite having a ranged attack, these enemies aren't as dangerous as other Necromorphs and can be considered support units. At a distance, their barbs are easily avoidable, and are unlikely to kill you unless you're low on health. *Lurker projectiles will cause Isaac to stumble, which can cause you to lose sight of the Lurker. *Their small size combined with their ability to stick to walls can make them hard to spot in large, open areas. *On Zealot difficulty a hit from the Javelin Gun followed by its alt-fire will kill it instantly, negating the need to dismember it. *Severing their tentacles is the quickest way to kill them. In most cases, the loss of two tentacles will do it, though some Enhanced Lurkers require the removal of all three. Dismembering one tentacle and using Kinesis to shoot it with the freshly dismembered barb is also a viable tactic in Dead Space 2. *If engaged at range, it is recommended to use weapons with high accuracy and common ammo encounters such as the Plasma Cutter or Javelin Gun. If you are using the Plasma Cutter, don't forget to switch between horizontal and vertical firing mode to target the tentacles much more easily. Two or three carefully-aimed shots can even take out two of the tentacles at once provided they both sway close enough to each other. *If multiple Lurkers are about, a shot from the Force Gun can be used to kill several at once, if you're lucky enough to get them with their tentacles extended. This needs to be done at relatively close range for most effectiveness, so be careful. *If you have lots of health and want to conserve ammo, intentionally allow an Enhanced Lurker to latch onto you and then overpower it. You will instantly kill an otherwise tough, ammo-guzzling enemy. *The Flamethrower's secondary fire is highly effective against Lurkers. It stuns them until the flame burns out. *Enhanced Lurkers will not engage you at stomping range and will attempt to flee. Using Stasis and repeatedly stomping it will save ammunition. *If slashers are around you while fighting Lurkers you can dismember the slasher and launch its limbs at the lurker for an easy kill Multiplayer *With its small frame and ability to travel on most surfaces, it is easy to remain hidden from Human players, especially if you don't extend the Lurker's tentacles. If you move effectively it's very easy to catch groups in an ambush and remain inconspicuous. *When playing as the Lurker, try to hug the walls and line up your volley so that it's aligned parallel to the height of your target. This way you have a better chance of doing more damage when two, or even all three barbs hit them. If this is done successfully, it's possible to take a target down in as few as three to four shots if all barbs strike. *An important aspect to using a Lurker effectively in multiplayer is remembering to take into account the ballistic behavior of the barbs, as they do not travel instantly. At medium to long ranges it is important to lead targets that are mobile. *A single shot from the Javelin Gun or from a fully upgraded Seeker Rifle is all it takes to kill one. No dismemberment is required. *You can quickly kill a Lurker by stomping it to death if it's on the ground. This is easily accomplished if you use Stasis on the Lurker first. Death Scene thumb|200px|right|A Lurker kills Isaac. *If Isaac is grabbed by a Lurker and fails to pull it off, the creature will plunge its tentacles into Isaac's neck and fire its projectiles from its remaining tentacles, causing decapitation. *If Isaac is killed by a Lurker projectile, he will lose the body part that it hit (in addition to succumbing to death). Depending on where Isaac is hit, he may not lose any body parts *If Isaac successfully overpowers the Lurker when it is latched onto him, he will lift the Lurker over his head and then slam it into the ground. Isaac then delivers a swift kick to the dazed lurker, killing it instantly. *In multiplayer, the Lurkers kill the guards in the exact same way. The way the guards escape the grapple is also the same. *In Dead Space (mobile), there are two death scenes of the Lurker. The first being if Vandal fails to get the lurker's tentacles off, it will bite her neck off, causing decapitation. The other being if Vandal does get the tentacles off but doesn't cut them off in time it will stab them in Vandal's neck, again causing decapitation. *If Vandal succeeds in getting and cutting off the lurker's tentacles, she will get it off, punch it in the face, hold in the air, then punt it. Trivia *Lurkers first appear in Chapter 2 of Dead Space, in the BioLab area of the Medical Deck, where one brutally kills a survivor. *The Lurker is one of the four Necromorph variants players can use in the Dead Space 2 Multiplayer. *The Lurker's growl was created by combining the cry of an infant with the roars of various animals. *The Dead Space 2 Trophy/Achievement "Clean Cut" requires the player to dismember all a Lurker's tentacles with one shot from the Line Gun. It is possible to obtain "Clean Cut" by dismembering the target Lurker by other means, such as with explosives. The achievement may be programmed to unlock when the player removes all the Lurker's tentacles at once, but not restricted to a Line Gun shot. *In the PC version of Dead Space, there is a glitch that makes the Lurker's lower tentacles straight when the lurker is killed. *The Xbox 360 Avatar Marketplace has a pet lurker for sale. *In Multiplayer, if you lose one of your tentacles, you can still shoot with the other two. *''Dead Space: Aftermath'' shows that Lurkers can be created via an adult corpse, not just infants. *The Dead Space Achievement/Trophy "Kickin' It" is earned for surviving a Lurker's grab ten times. *Gabe Weller doesn't encounter any Lurkers in Dead Space 2: Severed. *The death animation when killing a Lurker may be a joke by the developers, as it is essentially "punting a baby." Gallery DeadSpace___Lurker_by_hyperjack08.jpg|Conceptual art of The Lurker for Dead Space: Downfall. File:Concept_crouching_lurker_download_052308.jpg|Concept art of the Lurker for Dead Space. File:Lurker.jpg|Isaac ensnared by the Lurker's tentacles. File:Dead-Space-8.jpg|Isaac stomping on a Lurker. File:evil.jpg|A Lurker lunging towards its prey from Dead Space: Downfall. Aftermath - Lurker.png|A Lurker as seen in Dead Space: Aftermath. File:MP - Lurker.png|Lurker as seen in the Dead Space 2 multiplayer trailer. File:Enhanced_Lurker.jpg|An Enhanced Lurker in Dead Space 2. File:thumblg.png|A Lurker as a pet for Xbox LIVE. Appearances *''Dead Space'' *''Dead Space: Downfall'' *''Dead Space: Extraction'' *''Dead Space 2'' *''Dead Space: Aftermath'' *''Dead Space (mobile)'' Sources es:Lurker